Hey guys, I figured I would start a thread to document my journey with this insane speed demon. I’ve had the car for 2 days now.
So I was set on the LR version, but after some discussion and thinking I decided to go for the Plaid. It’s a lot of money for a mere 1 second, but frankly I just couldn’t stop thinking about possibly regretting not upgrading so I just went for it.
Instead of ordering the Plaid I was able to find one in inventory. I know the possibility of the car being a rejected vehicle is a bit high but I decided to risk it because this one had the wood trim along with the white seats, the same spec as the LR. I did not want carbon fiber as I think it’s too trendy and the wood just looks more luxurious. When it came time to schedule my delivery I had a feeling I would be rejecting the vehicle. I got to the service center at 10:15 for my 10:30 pickup, but the vehicle was nowhere on the lot. I waited till 10:45 and still nothing so I made my way in and asked if my vehicle was going to be available for pickup. They said they were still charging the vehicle since they knew I had a 50 mile drive back. Thoughtful of them but something that should have been done prior to 10:30.
Anyways vehicle came out while a went to go grab some coffee. Keep in mind it was a super cold day in Illinois so I didn’t bother going through the entire TMC Model S checklist. I started by checking panel gaps and it all looked pretty good. Paint is in fantastic condition, some water spots but not a big deal. Door handles looked great and all doors opened and closed without any issues. I got to the trunk and was shocked to see this:
The white specks are snow.
The SA already noted this and they said they would order the part and send out a mobile technician to fix it. My left floor cover and cargo cover were missing.
The only other issue I saw was the wood trim was not completely flush, but that’s just me being OCD. I was able to improve it a bit myself and figured I wouldn’t ask them to correct it because it would mean they would adjust the entire door and I didn’t want the almost perfect panel gaps to worsen.
Other than that it all looked great. Now coming from a BMW X3M I was a bit worried about the ride/cornering of the Model S. We had a 2019 M3P also and that thing was fast but it was a tin can. I was actually shocked when I first drove off, the Model S Plaid is 100% comparable to a German car. The fit and finish isn’t 100% but it’s impressive just how much more solid this vehicle feels compared to our M3P. I know the Model S is more expensive but I wasn’t ready for this big of a leap. Compared to our previous BMW, the Plaid actually feels more solid and planted than my X3M ever did. The combination of air suspension and the heavy weight helps the Model S feel super planted and it just glides on the road. It gives you that on rails feeling only German vehicles could create. Cornering and handling are fairly good too for this size of vehicle, it’s no BMW but it’s respectable. I haven’t been able to push the vehicle to hard in turns because of our icy conditions.
One thing I thought I would miss was the exhaust note, but honestly the silence is nice and with the double paned windows it just feels like your in some sort of crazy spaceship as you zip past everything outside. So far not missing the farts and burbles of the BMW. Also, it’s nice to utilize the speed without having to rev up the engine and have everyone look at you.
I’m going to keep posting my thoughts once I get some more seat time. I’ll give more detailed thoughts and opinions on the exterior and interior in the coming weeks.
So I was set on the LR version, but after some discussion and thinking I decided to go for the Plaid. It’s a lot of money for a mere 1 second, but frankly I just couldn’t stop thinking about possibly regretting not upgrading so I just went for it.
Instead of ordering the Plaid I was able to find one in inventory. I know the possibility of the car being a rejected vehicle is a bit high but I decided to risk it because this one had the wood trim along with the white seats, the same spec as the LR. I did not want carbon fiber as I think it’s too trendy and the wood just looks more luxurious. When it came time to schedule my delivery I had a feeling I would be rejecting the vehicle. I got to the service center at 10:15 for my 10:30 pickup, but the vehicle was nowhere on the lot. I waited till 10:45 and still nothing so I made my way in and asked if my vehicle was going to be available for pickup. They said they were still charging the vehicle since they knew I had a 50 mile drive back. Thoughtful of them but something that should have been done prior to 10:30.
Anyways vehicle came out while a went to go grab some coffee. Keep in mind it was a super cold day in Illinois so I didn’t bother going through the entire TMC Model S checklist. I started by checking panel gaps and it all looked pretty good. Paint is in fantastic condition, some water spots but not a big deal. Door handles looked great and all doors opened and closed without any issues. I got to the trunk and was shocked to see this:
The white specks are snow.
The SA already noted this and they said they would order the part and send out a mobile technician to fix it. My left floor cover and cargo cover were missing.
The only other issue I saw was the wood trim was not completely flush, but that’s just me being OCD. I was able to improve it a bit myself and figured I wouldn’t ask them to correct it because it would mean they would adjust the entire door and I didn’t want the almost perfect panel gaps to worsen.
Other than that it all looked great. Now coming from a BMW X3M I was a bit worried about the ride/cornering of the Model S. We had a 2019 M3P also and that thing was fast but it was a tin can. I was actually shocked when I first drove off, the Model S Plaid is 100% comparable to a German car. The fit and finish isn’t 100% but it’s impressive just how much more solid this vehicle feels compared to our M3P. I know the Model S is more expensive but I wasn’t ready for this big of a leap. Compared to our previous BMW, the Plaid actually feels more solid and planted than my X3M ever did. The combination of air suspension and the heavy weight helps the Model S feel super planted and it just glides on the road. It gives you that on rails feeling only German vehicles could create. Cornering and handling are fairly good too for this size of vehicle, it’s no BMW but it’s respectable. I haven’t been able to push the vehicle to hard in turns because of our icy conditions.
One thing I thought I would miss was the exhaust note, but honestly the silence is nice and with the double paned windows it just feels like your in some sort of crazy spaceship as you zip past everything outside. So far not missing the farts and burbles of the BMW. Also, it’s nice to utilize the speed without having to rev up the engine and have everyone look at you.
I’m going to keep posting my thoughts once I get some more seat time. I’ll give more detailed thoughts and opinions on the exterior and interior in the coming weeks.
